Toy kite



. Jan. 22, 1963 E. H. WILLIAMS 3,074,673

TOY KITE Filed NOV. 6, 1961 INVENTOR.

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Arraeaers.

3,074,673 TOY KITE Eugene H. Williams, 4050 Lee St. NE, Washington, DC. Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,312 Claims. (Cl. 244--153) The invention described herein relates to kites and more particularly to a novel kite construction having improved stabilizing means in lieu of the more conventional tail or the like.

Kites as conventionally constructed have a frame comprised of an elongated longitudinal rib, a transverse bow arm, anda covering of paper or plastic material. When such a kite is flown, a tail is normally fixed to the rear end thereof to make the kite stable when it is airborne. The weight and wind resistance of the tail helps to maintain the kite in the proper angle of incidence relative to the wind for stable flight.

The primary object of the present invention is a kite having novel structural features which eliminate the necessity of a tail to insure stable flight.

Another object of the invention is a kite having a construction which allows rapid and simple assembly and disassembly thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent by referring to the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the kite constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 4- is a perspective view of the stabilizer support.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the stabilizer support showing the rotary stabilizing propeller mouned thereon.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the outer end portion of one of the bow arms, both being identical.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 the kite 10 of the instant invention. The kite 10 has a frame comprising an elongated longitudinal rib 12 and a pair of how arms 14 and 16. Each of the bow arms 14 and 16 have inner and outer end portions 14a and 16a, and 14b and 1612, respectively. The kite further includes a covering 18 which can be formed of paper, plastic or other suitable material. A peripheral string 20 is provided and is secured in slots 22 and 24 in the other end portions 14b and 16b of bow arms 14 and 16 and in slots 26 and 28 in the ends of the longitudinal rib 12 to maintain the covering 18 on the kite 10.

Spaced inwardly of the rear end portion 30 of the kite 10 are a pair of openings 32 and 34 in the covering 18. The openings 32 and 34 are horizontally aligned and disposed on opposite side of longitudinal rib 12 and serve to decrease wind pressure against the covering 18 by allowing a portion of the wind impinging thereon to pass through. Spaced inwardly of the front end portion 36 of the kite 10 is a centrally disposed opening 38 which performs the same function as openings 32 and 34 and additionally allows wind to impinge against a rotary stabilizer 40.

The inner end portions 14a and 16a of how arms 14 and 16 extend through opening 38 in crossed relation to each other and in overlapping relation to longitudinal rib 12. The bow arms 14 and 16 and longitudinal rib 12 are removably secured together by means provided at one end of stabilizer support 42 which is best shown in 3,674,673 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 FIG. 4. The stabilizer support 42 is a formed Wire member having a propeller shaft 44, a horizontal offset 46, and a vertically extending portion 48. The means removably securing bow arms 14 and 16 and longitudinal rib 12 together is formed integral with the vertically extending portion 48 and comprises a pair of aligned, spaced U-shaped members 5% and 52 having bight portions 54 and 56, respectively. A pair of parallel arms 58 and 60 extend between U-shaped members 50 and 52. The frame of the kite 1% is assembled by placing the stabilizer support 42 on the longitudinal rib 12 so that parallel arms 58 and 6t) are in engagement therewith as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The inner end portions 14a and 16a are extended through openings 38 in covering 18 in crossed relation to each other and in overlapping relation to longitudinal rib 12 as previously indicated. Inner end portion 14a of bow arm 14 passes between the legs of U-shaped member 52 and has a groove therein (not shown) in which bight portion 54 of U-shaped member Si is engaged. The inner end 16a of bow arm 16 passes between the legs of U-shaped member 50 and has a groove therein (not shown) in which bight portion 56 of U-shaped member 52 is engaged. The proper dihedral of the bow arms 14 and 16 formed by bending the same and maintaining them in position by a dihedral string 53 secured to a slot in each end thereof as shown in FIG. 6. The dihedral string 53 is wound around the horizontal offset 46 of stabilizer support 42 as shown in FIG 1 to help maintain the same in a vertical position with respect to the kite 10.

The rotary stabilizer 4b is mounted on propeller shaft 44 of stabilizer support 42 and comprises a hub 60, arms 62 and 64- fixed thereto in diametrically opposed relation and extending outwardly therefrom. Propeller blades 66 and 68 are fixed to the free ends of arms 62 and 64 at an angle of substantially 45 The blades 66 and 68 are pitched and inclined relative to the hub 60 whereby wind impinging against the same will cause the stabilizer 40 to rotate.

The kite It as assembled is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 and is flown in the same manner as the conventional type of kite. A bridal string 70 is secured to the longitudinal rib 12 and the kite string (not shown) is tied thereto. When the kite 16 is airborne wind passing through openings 32, 34, and 38 allow the kite 10 to assume the proper angle of incidence. Additionally, air passing through opening 38 and around the front end portion 36 of the kite 1t) impinges against propeller blades 66 and 68 causing the stabilizer to rotate and maintain the kite in a stable manner Without resorting to a tail.

It will be seen that I have provided a kite having a propeller or rotor so mounted as to simulate a helicopter in flight, when said rotor or propeller is in rotary motion.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, variations and modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications, however, are considered to be within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A kite comprising a frame having an elongated longitudinal rib, a pair of bow arms, each having inner and outer end portions disposed across said longitudinal rib, a covering for said kite secured to said longitudinal rib and to the outer ends of each of said how arms, portions of said covering defining openings therein, the inner end portions of said how arms extending through one of said openings, a stabilizer support having means at one end thereof in engagement with each of said bow arms and said longitudinal rib removably securing the same together, said stabilizer support extending vertically from said kite, and a stabilizer mounted on the free end thereof.

,2. A kite comprising a frame having an elongated longitudinal rib, a pair of transverse bow arms, each having inner and outer end portions extending across said longitudinal rib, a covering for said kite, having front and rear end portions, secured to said longitudinal rib and to the outer end portions of each of said bow arms, portions of said covering defining openings spaced inwardly from the rear end portion thereof and portions defining an opening spaced inwardly from the front end portion thereof, the inner end portions of said bow arms extending through the opening in said covering spaced inwardly from the front end portion thereof, an elongated vertically extending stabilizer support having means at one end thereof in engagement with the inner end portions of each of said bow arms and said longitudinal rib removably securing the same together, and a rotary stabilizer mounted on the free end of said support.

3. A kite comprising a frame having an elongated longitudinal rib, a pair of transverse bow arms, each having inner and outer end portions extending across said longitudinal rib, a covering for said kite, having front and rear portions, secured to said longitudinal rib and to the outer end portions of each of said bow arms, portions of said covering defining a pair of horizontally aligned openings spaced inwardly of the rear end portion thereof and on opposite sides of said longitudinal rib, portions of said covering defining a substantially centrally disposed opening spaced inwardly of the front end portion thereof, the inner end portions of said bow arms extending through said centrally disposed opening in crossed relation to each other and in overlapping relation to said longitudinal rib, an elongated vertically extending stabilizer support having means at one end thereof in engagement with the inner end portions of each of said bow arms and said longitudinal rib removably securing the same together, and a rotary stabilizing propeller mounted on the freeend' of said support.

4. A kite as defined in claim 3 wherein said means at one end of said stabilizer support removably securing the inner ends of said bow arms and said longitudinal rib together comprises a pair of spaced, aligned, substantially U-shaped members, spaced parallel arms extending between said U-shaped members, said parallel arms in engagement with said longitudinal rib, portions of the inner end portions of each of said bow arms defining grooves therein, the bight portion of each of said U- shaped members engageable in said grooves, and .a dihedral string fixed to the outer ends of each of said how arms and to said stabilizer support.

5. A kite as defined in claim 3 wherein said rotary stabilizing propeller comprises a hub, arms fixed to said hub in diametrically opposed relation and extending outwardly therefrom, a propeller blade fixed to the free end of each of said arms at substantially a 45 angle, and each of said propeller blades being pitched and angularly inclined with respect to said hub.

No references cited. 

1. A KITE COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINAL RIB, A PAIR OF BOW ARMS, EACH HAVING INNER AND OUTER END PORTIONS DISPOSED ACROSS SAID LONGITUDINAL RIB, A COVERING FOR SAID KITE SECURED TO SAID LONGITUDINAL RIB AND TO THE OUTER ENDS OF EACH OF SAID BOW ARMS, PORTIONS OF SAID COVERING DEFINING OPENINGS THEREIN, THE INNER END PORTIONS OF SAID BOW ARMS EXTENDING THROUGH ONE OF SAID OPENINGS, A STABILIZER SUPPORT HAVING MEANS AT ONE END THEREOF IN ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OF SAID BOW ARMS AND SAID LONGITUDINAL RIB REMOVABLY SECURING THE SAME TOGETHER, SAID STABILIZER SUPPORT EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM SAID KITE, AND A STABILIZER MOUNTED ON THE FREE END THEREOF. 